"The sense of loss is a major driver for recruitment," explains Dr. Emily Bashah
Highlights: One of the defining features of the rise of American neofascism is violence. This is in no way surprising: violence is one of the primary tools that enemies of democracy use to impose their will, undermine institutions, and prevent the types of consensus-seeking that's foundational to a healthy democracy and society. Contrary to what right-wing leaders and their disinformation media would like to suggest, this violence is not on “both sides.” The data and other evidence show that political violence and extremism in the Age of Trump (and from the late 1980s to the present more generally) is a phenomenon almost exclusive to the right-wing and “conservative” movement.
National security experts and law enforcement are continuing to warn that right-wing political violence as seen on Jan. 6, in mass shootings and other acts of terrorism, hate crimes, and other such actions – up to an including the possibility of a sustained insurgency to remove President Biden and the Democrats from power – is the greatest threat to the country’s domestic safety and security.
They took the tactic from modern day Christian televangelism.
They use Trump as the focus of a belief system
They twist the old and outdated morality of hyper patriotism and conservative values. They do this in order to cherry-pick rules and laws to form a grotesque dogma that bares little resemblance to the original intention of said laws and morality.
They then use the twisted dogma to manipulate the population. They do this by feeding into the fears of poverty, 'evil', xenophobia, and racism. Then they offer solutions to those issues so long as they tithe (donate money), worship, and "spread the good news."
The solutions offered are wildly unrealistic… Free money for loyalty? Killing a whole group of people?
Unless your name is Israel, those solutions are obviously a farce to anyone with even the smallest amount of situational awareness and common sense.
That's why a lot of the Trump propaganda dulls the common sense and attempts to rewrite the memory of others using memes and obvious lies.
You have to essentially hypnotize people into believing that they are being oppressed, attacked, and that everyone but those a part of the belief system are evil baby-eaters.
One of the major reasons that fundamental Christians and the tea party generation are such numerous Trumpism supporters…
The hard work of brainwashing them was already done by another religion. All the MAGA leaders had to do was swap out one god for another.
It worked for ancient Rome, and it's working here.
I'm not Christian, but I did study Christian mythology while working on my doctorate in philosophy.
There are several near universal signs that a person is the Anti-Christ
✅ Religious Leader - As I pointed out, MAGA is arguably a fanatic cult within the Christian belief system
✅ Come in the name of Jesus - He literally used his power as president to take a picture of himself in front of a church with a bible while people were protesting him. He also likens himself to Jesus whenever he faces the consequences of his actions, like one of his impeachments.
✅ Preforming 'miracles' - He has falsely taken credit for miracles of modern technology, like the quickness of the successful COVID vaccine, predicting the paths of weather phenomenon, and even gender equality in the work force.
✅ He will be elected to a place of great leadership and use his 'power' to change laws and 'fix' a broken society - See the year 2016 through 2020
❌ Denies Jesus existed IRL - He's not outright said it, but due to his actions, he does not act like a believer in Christian mythology
✅ Rejects the laws of the Christian god - Through his actions and inaction, he does not live by the laws of Christianity. His violations range from divorces, hurting others, to being incredibly wealthy... The list goes on and on.
✅ Persecute Christians - The whole point of the MAGA Republicans and its propaganda is to target people who are Christians and make them bend to the will of Trump.
It is a pathetic, dog-like face, the face of a man suffering under intolerable wrongs. In a rather more manly way it reproduces the expression of innumerable pictures of Christ crucified, and there is little doubt that that is how Hitler sees himself. The initial, personal cause of his grievance against the universe can only be guessed at; but at any rate the grievance is here. He is the martyr, the victim, Prometheus chained to the rock, the self-sacrificing hero who fights single-handed against impossible odds. If he were killing a mouse he would know how to make it seem like a dragon. One feels, as with Napoleon, that he is fighting against destiny, that he can’t win, and yet that he somehow deserves to. The attraction of such a pose is of course enormous; half the films that one sees turn upon some such theme.
And yet liberals are constantly saying, "Give up your guns!"
I'm 52. Never particularly gave a shit about the subject. Didn't touch guns because, well, they're deadly and I was ignorant. And broke.
Couple of years ago I started making real money, leaned into the thing as a gunsmithing hobby. And now I have 40+ guns. Hell, they're mostly for fun, but if the fascists come knocking, I can fight back. And I'll be damned if I give up the option to fight for my life vs. these fascists taking over the US.
I practice and learn. My fiancé's Boomer ex thinks owning makes you a tough guy. Nothing about guns makes one "tough". She's like, "You have so many more and nicer guns than him! Ha ha!" Yeah, no. (She's Filipina, new to America, new to guns. And she can shoot great now!)
And most new gun owners are women, LGTB+ and POC. They practice and learn.
I am a peaceful man, because I can make that choice. If you cannot choose peace, you are merely harmless.
When "the fascists come knocking" and you pull out one of your guns, you will be made an example of. "They" will come with bigger guns than yours and they will be more than one person and you will quickly realize how silly your idea of fighting back "the fascists" really is. Maybe before you die in your own front door, you'll have time to realize how your silly idea helped mentally ill people kill kids in schools because guns are so easily available and nobody really wanted to do anything about it. You probably won't, though, and thus kids will keep being killed in schools because stepping back and questioning the heroic vision of yourself you were told to strive for is unpleasant.
It’s a deterrence thing not a defense thing. The guns aren’t there to stop a fascist raid in progress; they’re there to prevent it from starting in the first place.
Isn't that rather the point? And what's yours? Don't fight back when they come to take you to the train? You've attributed a lot of actions and ideas on me.
And this might really bake your noodle; How do you think the fascists might be held back? Make them not so bold?
Voting ain't working, and the right is consolidating power to take even that away from us. Young people and liberals are obviously lazy as fuck when it comes to pulling a lever in a voting both. Otherwise, we wouldn't be arguing all this. Do you disagree?
There was a horrifying video of jihadis running down the street after the Iranian people pulled off a "mini" rebellion last year. American liberals were all over social media talking about... whatever. And none of them had a clue that this sort of this isn't possible in America because the citizens are armed.
It's not that I would go Rambo shooting out my window, unless it came to brass tacks. It's that I have the option, and the brownshirts know that.
tl;dr An armed citizenry is a deterrence. And if deterrence isn't enough, shoot back. Or, get on the train with the fags and other "degenerates". (JK, that's never happened before and we in the US are too enlightened to allow it. /s)
Lol claimed that you didn't touch guns and then that irrational tirade pro guns.... yeah right.
Also, I haven't seen any democrat trying to take your guns or anyone's, but they want to make sure that deranged individuals don't have access to them.
Basically, the only ones that should fear that rhey are taking their guns are criminals and/or people with mental health problems. If you are so sure they are coming to get yours, then, which one are you? A criminal or a person wirh mental health issues?
I'm assuming you're speaking of red flag laws for taking guns? I'm seriously torn on the notion.
On one hand, we desperately need it. OTOH, are you willing to call the cops on a family member or friend, knowing it's a likely death sentence?
OR, are cops sane, helpful members of society, as long as they're only tasked with disarming potentially violent citizens? They have a solid track record on those interactions!
And stop putting the "they're coming for your GURNS!" shit on me. I vote D, all the way, and never will vote R after 01/06. Cute meme, but we don't all feel that way. And the reality is somewhat different. (And boy does that GIF piss off the gun nuts!)
Hell, most of my guns are for fun and learning gunsmithing. The vast majority are <$200 guns I bought to refurbish. A few are still in parts!
Don't be silly. I have a Colt .45 on my desk, a .45 1911 RIA on my nightstand and a pump shotgun to go with it. I'm capable with those 3, but I have no illusions of being able to effectively use one at 3AM. In any case, if I'm legally able to defend my family, why should I not take that option?
Call the cops instead? Tell me how much you trust the cops.